Authors Morgan and Jennifer Locklear have reached nearly 2,000 Likes on Facebook, and they want to spoil their readers with a fabulous giveaway! If you haven't already been "exposed" to it, these two co-authored a highly entertaining novel of Hollywood scandal--the adult contemporary romance Exposure.
This book is a rich and witty world of the poshness and pitfalls of stardom, and I loved all the clever pop cultural references. The conflict surrounding the celebrity characters’ personal lives and how they strategize to portray such to the public is fascinating as well, and there’s interesting insight into the art of cinematography itself. I personally can't wait for more from these two, either together or individually--and I happen to know that Jennifer Locklear does indeed have a new manuscript up her sleeve. Keep posted for that one, folks.
But until then, 16 amazing authors (yeah, okay, I include myself in there ;)) have offered up signed paperbacks or ebooks. Yours truly is giving away a signed paperback copy of Seven for a Secret, which I'm happy to ship anywhere in the world.
Cheers to Morgan and Jennifer for this awesome opportunity, for readers and authors alike. And if you're joining in the book binge, good luck to you and HAPPY READING!
Kicking off a new feature today in hopes of becoming a little more consistent in my blogging efforts. :) And so, without further ado, today's Music Monday selection is...
"TONIGHT YOU BELONG TO ME"
by The Bird and the Bee
Today's little ditty comes to you from my unofficial soundtrack for Seven for a Secret. In the book, Lon plays the original 1926 Irving Kaufman version of "Tonight You Belong to Me" on his Victrola. But this sweet, modern rendition provides the perfect bridge between the novel's past and present story threads. I can almost hear it playing during the epilogue, actually--that final scene with Kate and Dexter. The song's rippling, almost glimmering synthpop evokes a celestial, standing-in-line-for-Space-Mountain-at-Disney-World sound befitting Kate's and Dex's planetarium jobs and all the stargazing throughout Seven for a Secret.
That's it for today, rockstars. Have a happy week!
I feel like the cat that got the cream these days. On the same day that I celebrated Seven for a Secret's anniversary, I signed on with Crooked Cat Publishing for my next romantic paranormal novel, What the Clocks Know!
This manuscript has been such a labor of love. It was actually the first novel I wrote--before Seven for a Secret--and as it saw me through the tough transition of my international relocation, it became a very personal endeavor. After years of revision, I am elated for it to finally see the light of day in early 2016! And working with Crooked Cat has already been such a pleasure. Truly the cat's meow!
In Seven for a Secret, Kate's dating history was largely inspired by the author's real-life experiences.
Watch the new BOOK TRAILER as you think it over...
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Answer: Sad, but TRUE...
Last time, I made it clear that Dexter was in no way based on a particular ex-boyfriend of mine who worked at the Adler Planetarium. But that isn't to say he (and other male characters) weren't loosely based on other "romantic" encounters in my life. For the most part, Dexter is his own man. I really did not base him on anyone I know outside of the "break" he takes with Kate. The break itself didn't happen, but I'm ashamed to admit I once laid out the "inclusive" terms that Kate does. The guy and I had already been broken up for a while, however, and though I earnestly wanted to get back together with him, I also wanted to have my cake and eat it, too (which, to be fair, is an expression I've never understood as being a bad thing. I mean, what's the point of having cake if you're NOT going eat it??). I'd been enjoying seeing other people so wanted that to continue, too. Which might've worked if the feeling were mutual, but it unfortunately wasn't; he dated no one else while I went out once with another guy, and that was enough for things between us to deteriorate fast. I'll always feel bad about instigating getting back together with such unrealistic and unfair expectations, and I wanted Kate to learn that lesson, too.
In any case, some of Dex's mannerisms in that scene are reminiscent of breakup discussions I've had (none of which, FYI, EVER happened directly after such an intimate moment of passion!), and the ones he doesn't display (but Kate reflects on) are my husband's:
"She wondered how many others besides her were able to notice such microscopic differences in him; who else had learned the little traits he had like scraping his fingers against his thumbs when he was indecisive or how his body jerked in brief spasms whenever he first fell asleep?"
Beyond Dex, though, the other inspirations were pretty straightforward:
"A chatty yet friendly accountant she’d met at Fado’s invited her and another gal she worked with to Smith & Wollensky with his buddy. It had been an evening of good steak, martinis, and hilarious company, and she was excited about giving the gentleman her number. Until the waiter toured them through the kitchen and her date suctioned to her from behind, his hands roving her body under the pretense of keeping her warm inside the meat locker.
Then there was Thursday night when a group of her college friends had subjected her to karaoke therapy at Trader Todd’s, the cheesy tropical-themed bar where the guy who’d played Ogre in Revenge of the Nerds always hung out. But neither spotting Ogre in a Hawaiian shirt nor her inexpert renditions of 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' and 'I’ve Had the Time of My Life' had been enough to work magic on Kate’s mood. However, another piña colada had gotten her to finally flirt back with the lanky redhead who’d been commanding her attention all night. He’d even chased out in the rain after her when she’d tried to bail while he was in the bathroom. The gesture had all the makings of life imitating rom-com art, yet Kate had only reluctantly given him her number."
Yep and yep. Except I met the first guy at Rock Bottom Brewery, not Fado Irish Pub, I don't remember his profession, and I was never--at any point--excited about giving him my number. But he did make himself cozy inside that meat locker, and though I never sang karaoke at Trader Todd's (just subjected my ears to others), that lanky redhead did chase after me in the rain. And in both cases, I was too nice to not give them my number but mean enough to never answer or return their calls--just like Kate.
And then there's David... Kate mentions meeting a guy at Gamekeepers sports bar, which is where I met the guy who in part inspired Hot Neighbor--except the guy I dated was not hot. He was tall with a handsome face and five years older, which I really liked; his 27 years of age seemed so mature to my 22, and he just seemed like so much more of a man than the guys my age. But he wasn't built like David and didn't have that beautiful head of hair (actually, he's probably bald by now). Like David, though, he was a lawyer and had the same personality, let's just say (I don't want to spoil too much if you haven't read the book). Yet while the kiss at Geja's Cafe did happen with him, the "Big Scooch" did not...
That's all I'm going to say about that.
Needless to say, my perspectives about love and dating were very much like Kate's when I was in my early twenties. I thought I had all the time in the world--and definitely an idealized (deluded) sense of romance that was originally warped by the Molly Ringwald movies I watched growing up as an '80s child. (In fact, a conversation with a friend about this inspired his Tribecca Film Festival award-winning screenplay, John Hughes Ruined My Life, which is in development now as a future web series! You can follow @JohnHughesRML on Twitter.) As Kate reflects:
"The guys had definitely gotten better over the years as she honed her selection process into a science.
Yet whenever she was just about to get more practical about it all—write up her lists of pros and cons and see how Dex or any other guy weighed in on paper—Kate would get this vision of herself standing in the doorway of a church, a bridesmaid bouquet in her hand. As she’d look down forlornly, in her peripheral vision she’d notice guests’ cars driving away, only to look up and see Jake Ryan from Sixteen Candles in his sweater vest, his button-down shirt rolled to his elbows. He’d be leaning against his red sports car, smiling and waving at...her?
Me?
And then she’d meet him halfway as he jogged across the street to her. Fuck, Kate thought as Vera’s gritty voice dulled into background noise. John Hughes, you’ve ruined me for all men."
To make matters worse, I was even a bridesmaid in my sister's wedding when I was fifteen. No red sports car waited for me outside the church that day. Or any day. Just a used silver Buick when I finally did find the man who'd say, Yeah, you. :)
Wanna make your sssummer sssizzzle? Enter The Romance Reviews's Sizzling Summer Reads party for a chance to win a free ebook of SEVEN FOR A SECRET and other prizes that meet your bookish fancy!
"Jefe, would you say there are a plethora of other authors participating in #TRRparty, giving readers many chances to stockpile their summer beach reads?"
"Yes, El Guapo. There are a plethora."
My own trivia question is only there for today, June 22nd, so please do give it a go or refer a friend!
In Seven for a Secret, Kate's boyfriend Dexter is based on the author's ex-boyfriend who worked at the Adler Planetarium.
Think it over...
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Answer: FALSE!
I got asked this question a lot by friends who know my dating history, so allow me to set the record straight that Dex is in no way inspired by my ex who worked at the Adler Planetarium.
To start, that guy worked in Adler's IT department, not the Education one, like Kate and Dex do. The real reason I employed my characters there is because I volunteered at the Adler on weekends. Wearing my red volunteer polo and my trusty lanyard, I worked closely with the Education department in creating what they called "make-and-takes" with the kids who visited the museum. They were little activities that usually involved coloring, cutting out, and assembling a basic astronomical tool, like a sundial or star-finder, or making bracelets out of plastic UV beads and then holding them up to the sun to watch how they changed color. I also participated in special events, like the museum overnights and Celestial Ball mentioned in Chapter 6. There, I'd get to present little demos on air pressure and hydroponics or whatnot, help with telescopes, pose with aliens for photos...you know, the usual. ;) One year at the Celestial Ball, actually, I sold a raffle ticket to an older gentleman, and it wasn't until he'd walked away that I actually read his name on our sign-up sheet: Jim Lovell. Yes, as in Apollo 13.
Who says astronomy's not cool now! Face!
In any case, I loved my experiences at the Adler. The volunteer coordinator was nothing like Vicki, she actually did her job and did it well, but I was like Kate in favoring the antique sundial by the medieval classroom; I would sit in that window seat to reflect during a quiet time. And somehow I was partial to the Atwood Sphere, too; we're jaded now by the technology of modern sky theatres, but you've gotta appreciate the Sphere's history, and it provided such a perfect link between Kate's and Lon's stories.
And yes, I have more than a passing interest in astronomy, but my time at the planetarium was meaningful in another way that I suspect was fated from the moment I found an Adler pamphlet in the women's restroom at Joe's on Weed St. I was working in finance at the time and generally feeling a void in my career, so just seeing this brochure inspired me to contact the museum about volunteering. And so I did, and in becoming a volunteer, I found such joy in teaching and interacting with the public, that I was in turn inspired to leave the business world and become an educator instead. And so I did, and in becoming a high school English teacher, I cultivated the passion and skills that now feed my work as a writer and editor.
So, between the Adler's influence on me when I was about Kate's age and its rich history as an iconic Chicago landmark, I absolutely had to include it in the story. Let's just say it was written in the stars...
So was Dex based on anyone in real life? Methinks I'll leave that to another Friday. ;)
In Chapter 1 of Seven for a Secret, when Kate Pembroke gets locked in her bathroom and must call for help out the window, this actually happened to the author.
I'll give you some time to mull it over...
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The real "Camden" Court.
My studio apartment was on the top floor of this left-hand wing,
above the entrance at the top of those stairs.
Answer: TRUE!
This absolutely happened to me. In fact, a lot of strange things tend to happen to me in bathrooms (aside from the obvious), and this won't be the last time one such bathroom incident will appear in one of my books. :)
I'd elaborate on the details, but honestly, it happened exactly as described in the book. Except I hadn't moved in yet; the place was supposed to be painted that day or the next, and I was just checking it out before work in the morning. Even though completely by myself, I closed the bathroom door--and, actually, now that I think of it, I don't think I was even using the toilet; I think I was just testing the door, knowing how they can stick in those old buildings (in which case, what moron tests it from the inside??). Anyway, while my doorknob wasn't as pretty as Kate's vintage one, it did come out in my hand, and, well, read the book for the rest.
Calling out to an unknown neighbor in the courtyard was mortifying, and I wish that gal were even half as nice as Vera is to Kate at the time. She was a younger woman who came upstairs to let me out and then proceeded to say nothing as we walked back downstairs together. No matter my profuse apologies and gratitude for her help, she did not speak. Needless to say, in my two years in that building (Hampden Court, the inspiration for Camden Court), I never saw her again. So maybe she was a ghost...
This spring, I finally got around to dusting off an old manuscript--my first novel attempt--and getting down to some serious revisions. After two more read-throughs this past week, I'm feeling really good about it. Granted, I once felt really good about my earlier drafts, too, which just the thought of now makes me criiiinge. But room for improving is infinite, so while I'll always be aspiring for that as a writer, I think I've got this little gal ready to query again.
In any case, I love crazy coincidences, like one Father's Day when my brother was talking about going to a ball game in Cleveland and how the fans kept singing "Hang on Sloopy," which we Illinoisans furrowed our brows at, wondering what the hell significance that song had for Cleveland or the state of Ohio; my dad didn't even know the song, and I said how I hadn't heard it in ages. And then...my other brother gave my dad a speaker to pimp out his TV, and to test it, he turned on one of those TV music channels, which...yes. Was playing "Hang on Sloopy," along with a factoid on the screen about how Ohio adopted it as its state song in the '80s. That is not a "meaningful" coincidence to me, per se, but still. Come ON. That's weird, right?
I notice things like this so much that I once started writing them down to see if I'd ever find a pattern among them. But I stopped that habit, before I could become a crazy lady with maps and articles taped to the walls and a web-work of yarn tacked between them as if it would one day all come together like the end of an M. Night Shyamalan movie.
So that being said, I'm reading nothing into what happened today. It simply makes me happy that after pouring my mind and heart back into the story of a character who loves coincidences, too, today on the Tube ride to the British Book Affair here in London, I cracked open my book of JD Salinger short stories right to an old favorite, "For Esme with Love and Squalor," and the very first sentence ended with "in England on April 18th."
In England on April 18th. Yes, I am.
Cheers, Margot. Here's to coincidence and querying.
Available February 3, 2015 from Vagabondage Romance (an imprint of Vagabondage Press)
SUMMARY:
One wedding. Six participants. Be they sitting in the pews or standing at the altar, bearing witness in person or only in spirit, each of them knows something about the unsmiling bride.
Go ahead—offer them a sixpence for their thoughts, and they'll make you these vows:
One would love to declare this woman his “awfully wedded wife.” Verbatim.
One fears what she already has and will have to hold—if not from this day forward, then soon.
One takes her to be richer, not poorer—and for that reason wants to scrub the toilet with her toothbrush.
One is better for what she told him this morning, worse for betraying a friend to get to this point.
One worries whether today finds her in sickness or in health.
And only one already knows—with certainty—that not even in death will they part.
Whether they speak now or forever hold their peace, they all give the bride a little something she didn’t register for. With romance, resentment, faith, fear, mystery, and the mystical, Four Somethings & A Sixpence is a loaded yet light read just in time for Valentine's Day!
In celebration, I'm giving away 4 free ebooks of this 9,000-word novelette, and a lucky 5th winner will receive the ebook PLUS an authentic silver sixpence coin struck by the Royal Mint in London! RSVP at the Rafflecopter for your chance to win (runs from 2/3 - 2/14).
In the spirit of Halloween, I'm giving up the ghost...or giving it away, rather, in the form of two signed copies at Goodreads for the entire month of October. Enter to win and see if Olive's BOO! is bigger than her bite. ;)
With only a week left to go before the release, I am truly grateful for the support already given by so many kind folks. Now that this book is all dolled up, let's hope she has someplace to go. :)
It won't be wearing its pretty new outfit until the cover reveal on AUGUST 5th, and the official book release isn't until AUGUST 12th, but in the meantime, you can check out the book summary at Goodreads, and if you fancy the sound of it, please add it to your "TO READ" shelf!
